WASHINGTON—U.S. District Judge Robert Summerhays ruled Friday that Title 42, a key public health authority in place since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, must remain in place for the time being. The Biden administration planned to let the policy expire Monday, creating a nightmare scenario on America’s already overrun southwest border. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts made the following statement: 

“Title 42 has been absolutely critical in helping reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protecting our communities from tens of thousands of illegal aliens who we know are carrying COVID. The Trump administration was right to use this authority to keep Americans safe, and the Biden administration—whose public health policies have long been at odds with common-sense border security policies—is utterly foolish in pushing for its end. 

 

“This administration cannot make up its mind about the pandemic. On the one hand, it continues to push for billions more dollars in COVID spending and mandate that millions of Americans get vaccinated in order to keep their jobs, while simultaneously declaring the pandemic over when it comes to the southwest border.  

 

“Credit goes to the leaders in Louisiana, Arizona, and Missouri, who led the fight in the courts to keep this vital public health tool in place. The fight to secure our borders still must be fought, however. Even if Title 42 remains in place for the foreseeable future, we are still in the midst of an unmitigated disaster on our southwest border—a disaster knowingly and willfully caused by the Biden administration. This disaster is killing Americans, wrecking our communities, and jeopardizing our security.   

 

“In the same week Washington approved $40 billion in spending for Ukraine, the Biden administration and Congress again did nothing to address this crisis or the fentanyl epidemic it has exacerbated. There’s a lot of lip service paid to both of those issues, but there isn’t a whole lot of action. It’s time for Washington to get serious. They should start by implementing our coalition plan to secure the border, and impeaching DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.”